Denarius of Septimius Severus 

Editor: This is a Denarius of Septimius Severus, from the Harvard Art Museums. It's a small coin, aged and worn, but it carries a certain weight, doesn’t it? What sort of symbols or cultural memory do you recognize in this piece? Curator: Indeed. Coins such as this transcend mere currency; they become potent symbols. The portrait of Septimius Severus embodies Roman power, recalling military strength and imperial authority. Notice how the image on the reverse offers continuity of empire. Editor: So, it's like a miniature billboard of its time? Curator: Precisely. And consider the material. Though modest in size, the coin acted as a cultural artifact, a shared visual language across the empire, fostering unity, and legitimizing power. What lasting impact might such pervasive imagery have? Editor: It's amazing how much can be communicated in something so small! I'll definitely think differently about coins now.